Abstract

The problems addressed by the study were: (i) did democratisation enhance the national development especially the economic performance of Nigeria and South Korea between 1999 and 2009? And (ii) did democratisation improve the quality of life of Nigerians and South Koreans between 1999 and 2009? The qualitative method of research was used. This encompasses data from official documents of government, international donor agencies, Central Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Korea, United Nations Development Programme, Department for International Development, Central Intelligence Agency, African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and other library materials. The study was conducted with the aid of the theory of the developmental state. The theory faults the regime type hypothesis insisting that development is not amenable to any kind of regime. It holds that leadership’s resolve to develop the country and the capacity of the institutions and a disciplined population are more critical factors. The data were analysed using the qualitative method aided by graphs, charts, tables, and simple percentages. The results revealed that development is not regime-specific. South Korea achieved the bulk of its development under autocratic regimes and continued on the path of development into the current democratic system. On the other hand, Nigeria was unable to maximize the opportunities at the disposal of autocratic regimes to achieve national development in all the years of military dictatorships. Development still remains dicey in the current era of democratization. GDP per capita at Purchasing Power Parity of Nigeria rose marginally from 1,542 in 2000 to 2,156 in 2008 while South Korea experienced a corresponding increase from 18,537 in 2000 to 29,518 in 2008. The value of Nigeria on the UNDP HDR’s HDI declined from 0.438 in 1990 to 0.423 in 2008 whereas South Korea experienced an improvement from the value of 0.722 in 1990 to 0.877 in 2008. Average life expectancy in Nigeria rose marginally from 44.8 in 1980 to 48.4 in 2008 whereas South Korea experienced a corresponding significant rise from 65.7 in 1980 to 79.8 in 2008. Beyond the regime type hypothesis, the character of the political elites, governance style, the capacity of the institutions and the willingness of the state to champion the cause of national development are major considerations in development studies.